Form cleaner assembly



July 22, 1969 J. w. FRENCH ETAL 3,456,277

FORM CLIAN'H( ASSEMBLY Filed June 26, 1967 6 Sheets-bheet l July 22, 1969 J. w. FRENCH ETAL 3,456,277

FORM CLEANER ASSEMBLY Filed June 26, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet z:

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FORM CLEANER ASSEMBLY Filed June 26, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 July z2, 1969 Filed June 2e, 1967 J. W. FRENCH ETAL FORM CLEANER ASSEMBLY 6 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent O 3,456,277 FORNI CLEANER ASSEMBLY Jack W. French, Lake Forest, Richard M. Lewanski, Chicago, and Richard E. Modry, Oak Park, Ill., assignors to Sommer & Maca Glass Machinery Company, Chicago,

Ill., a 'corporation of Illinois Filed June 26, 1967, Ser. No. 648,825 Int. Cl. B08b 1/00, 13/00 U.S. Cl. 15-77 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for in-place, automatic, simultaneous cleaning of all edges of a member such as a concrete form, including a brush for each edge, means for rotating, moving advancing and retracting the brushes in timed sequence, for removing dust, dirt and hardened concrete, and for positioning and withdrawing the form, all supported on a frame of minimum spatial occupation.

This invention relates to cleaner assemblies and has particular relation to an automatic machine assembly effective in cleaning concrete construction forms and the like.

One purpose of the invention is to provide automatic means for cleaning concrete forms.

Another purpose is to provide means for rapid cleaning of concrete forms.

Another purpose is to provide concrete form cleaning means occupying a minimum spatial area.

Another purpose is to provide means capable of accepting and cleaning concrete forms and similar structures of varying sizes.

Another purpose is to provide automatic means for simultaneous, in-place treating of all edges of multiedged structures of varying sizes and configurations.

Another purpose is to provide concrete form cleaning means effective to receive and discharge a cleaning form at the same location.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a front perspective;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective;

FIGURE 3 is an end view as viewed from the right of FIGURE l with some parts omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 4A is a side elevation of the left end of the machine as viewed in FIGURE 1 with parts omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 4B is a side elevation of the right end of the machine as viewed in FIGURE l with parts omitted for clarity; and

FIGURES 5-10 are views of the progressive steps in carrying out the invention.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, a support such as the frame 1 includes elongated upper rails 2 and lower rails 3. While the terms upper and lower are used herein for clarity, it will be understood that the same are not intended as limiting. Movably carried on and along the rails 2 is an upper carriage 4. A lower carriage 5 is movable along and supported by the rails 3.

A first cleaner assembly 6 is supported at one end of the frame 1. A second cleaner assembly 7 is carried by the lower carriage 5. A third cleaner assembly 8 and a fourth cleaner assembly 9 are carried by the upper carriage 4.

The structure shown and described herein relates to cleaning of a four-sided or four-edged rectangular form,

3,456,277 Patented July 22, 1969 such as that shown at F, though it will be realized that other forms might be cleaned by minor modification of the assembly shown and without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

Means for moving the carriage 4, and with it the cleaner assemblies 8 and 9, along rails 2 include a motor means 10 and chain 11 mounted on frame 1 and suitably engaging carriage 4. Similarly, -motor means 12 and drive means 13 are carried by the lower carriage 5 for reciprocation of cleaner assembly 7 thereon. It will be understood that any suitable drive means may be employed, e.g. means 13 may include a belt, reducing gear and chain drive. A motor means 14 and drive means 15 are supported on frame 1 for reciprocation of cleaner assembly 6. Thus cleaner assemblies 8 and 9 are movable in parallel with rails 2 and 3 and cleaner assemblies 6 and 7 are movable perpendicularly thereto.

The upper carriage 4 includes a pair of interpenetrating cross-elements 4a, 4b and hand wheel 16 is rotatable to rotate shaft 17 to adjust the relative spacing between the aligned cleaner assemblies 8 and 9 carried respectively on elements 4a, 4b. Lock means, such as that indicated at 18, serve to secure the portions 4a, 4b in the desired relationship.

A form-receiving shelf 20 is carried by and forwardly disposed on lower carriage 5 and an aligned form-receiving shelf 21 is supported on frame 1 forwardly of cleaner assembly 6. Positioned forwardly of shelf 20 and carried by lower carriage 5 is a rst vertically disposed ram 22. A second vertically disposed ram 23 is supported on frame 1 at a position forwardly of and below shelf 21. The rams 22, 23 may conveniently take the preferred form of pneumatic or air cylinders, though hydraulic cylinders may lbe employed. A plurality of abutmentreceiving pockets 24 are carried by and immediately beneath the rails 2 for reception of abutment elements or plates 25 at desired positions beneath rails 2.

Since the cleaner assemblies 6, 7, 8 and 9 are substantially identical, it will suffice for convenience and clarity to describe one such assembly. For example, the cleaner assembly 6 includes a horizontally disposed, cupshaped, rotatable brush member 6a to which brushes 7a, 8a and 9a correspond. The brush 6a extends forwardly from the cleaner assembly and is movable axially by advancing-retracting means 6b which may take the form of an air cylinder. The brush 6a is driven by a power means, such as the motor 6c, through any suitable drive element, the belt and pulley arrangement 6d being illustrated. A vacuum housing7 6e surrounds the periphery of brush 6a in spaced relation therewith and a flexible hose 6i extends from the housing 6e to a point externally of frame 1 for connection with a suitable vacuum dust collection source (not shown).

It lwill be understood that suitable sequencing controls are provided. A control box 26 is supported on frame 1 for ready access of the operator. Suitable microswitches, Such for example as those shown at 27, 28 in FIGURE 2, are provided for automatic, timed action and reaction of various elements of the assembly. Switches 27 and 28, for example, can be employed to limit and reverse the reciprocation of cleaner assmebly 7 and thus control the travel of the assembly 7 and brush 7a along the edge of the form to be cleaned. Similar switches are suitably located with respect to cleaner assemblies 6, 8 and 9 and with respect to brush-advancing-retracting actuators 6b, 7b, 8b and 9b. It will be understood that such switches are connected, in known manner, with the motor means 10, 12, 14, 6c, 7c, 8e and 9c. Similarly, suitable controls are provided for operation of rams 22, 23. Since a variety of known sequencing controls, electrical, air or hydraulic circuits and the like may be employed, and since the same are well known to those skilled in illustrated in detail herein.

Whereas there has been shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description are to be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modications in and to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

With the lower carriage at one end of the frame 1, i.e. at its maximum distance from opposed shelf 21, and with the carriage elements 4a, 4b at their maximum eX- tension, the assembly of the invention is in position to receive the largest form to be cleaned. The assembly of the invention illustrated herein, for example, is capable of accepting a form 8 feet in length.

In any event, the operator slides the carriage 5 into the desired position to receive the size of form to be cleaned, the form-receiving shelves 20, `21 being thus spacedly positioned to slidably accept such form. When the carriage 5 was positioned at the desired location a suitable lock, such as that indicated at 29, was engaged. Similarly, elements 4a, 4b are adjusted to position cleaner assemblies 8 and 9 in relation to the width of the form to be cleaned and means 18 are employed to lock elements 4a, 4b in desired position.

With the form to be cleaned then placed on the receiving shelves 20, 21 and fully inserted thereon, the operating button is engaged by the operator to raise the rams 22, 23 and thus to raise the form against the prepositioned abutments 25, the latter having been previously positioned by the operator in the appropriate receiving pockets 24 in relation to the size of the form to be cleaned. Thereafter all of the motors above described are energized to move the carriage 4 and assemblies 8, 9 along the rails 2, to rotate lbrushes 8a, 9a and to move them along the opposite longitudinal edges of the form to be cleaned, to move the assemblies 6, 7 on the frame 1 and carriage 5, respectively, to rotate and move the brushes 6a, 7a along the opposite lateral edges of the form to be cleaned.

As may be best seen from the schematic illustration in FIGURES 5-10, the brush-positioning actuators 6b, 7b, 8b and y9b are sequentially operated to insure engagement of each of the brushes with its opposed edge of the form F throughout the length of said edge and to insure against contact of any of the brush elements with each other during the course of their movement. It will be observed from FIGURE 5 that each of the brushes are in a rst neutral or parked position.

With the form F inserted as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 5 and raised into position and the operating button engaged, all of the brushes begin rotating and the vacuum system is activated. As may be best seen in FIG- URE 6, for example, one set of the brushes, such as brushes 6a, 7a, are advanced toward each other to engage the opposed edges of form F while brushes 8a, 9a remain retracted or parked. As seen in FIGURE 7, the brushes 6a, 7a have traversed a small portion of their travel along the opposed edges of the form F. At this point the brushes 8a, 9a have traversed a small portion of their travel and are then advanced toward each other to engage the opposed edges of the form F. As best seen in FIGURE 8, the brushes 6a, 7a will have completed their traverse and been retracted by actuators 6b, 7b into a second neutral or parked position before brushes 8a, 9a have completed their traverse. As seen in FIGURE 9, brushes 8a, 9a complete their traverse free of contact with brushes 6a, 7a and thereupon, as shown in FIGURE 10, brushes 8a, 9a are retracted and moved into their second neutral or parked positions. The ilexible conduits 6]', 7f, 8f and 9f permit free movement of their associated brushes. Both sets of neutral brush positions are so disposed, as may be best seen in FIGURES 5 and l0, to permit easy insertion and removal of form F into the cleanthe art, they are not ing position `without contact with the brushes. With the form F in the position of FIGURE 10, rams 22, 23 arel lowered and the form is removed in the direction indicated by the arrow.

As may be seen from the arrows in FIGURES 5 and 10, the form to be cleaned is inserted and removed from the same position in relation to the machine. The brushes have, in elTect, two sets of parked or neutral positions, each of which provides for ready insertion and removal of the form to be cleaned. The controls are so set as to merely reverse the brush advance, move and retract actions described above with alternate forms as they are inserted. Thus the cleaning assemblies need not be repositioned after the cleaning of each individual form. Similarly, it will be understood that the controls are so established (contact switches so positioned, for example) as to provide for advancement and retraction of the brushes of each set with respect to the traversed position of the brushes of the other set, to prevent contact therebetween, even though the forms may be of varying dimensions.

The provision of cleaner assembly 6 movable in a fixed path and cleaner assembly 9 movable along a fixed path, and the provision of movable carriage 5 to adjust the path of assembly 7 and means 4a, 4b to adjust the path of assembly 8 results in a variable brush-movement pattern capable of cleaning forms of varying sizes and configurations. The assembly shown in the drawings and described above is capable, for example, of cleaning forms varying from those measuring l by 2 to those measuring 2 by 8'. It will be understood that the assembly of the invention may be adjusted to provide for cleaning a lesser or greater variety of measurements and configurations without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

There is claimed:

1. Means for cleaning a form having a plurality of vertical edges including a support, a brush for each of said form edges, means for rotating said brushes about coplanar horizontal axes, means carried -by said support for moving each of ysaid brushes along its opposed form edge, advancing-retracting means engaged with each of said brushes and controls effective to simultaneously move all of said brushes along their opposed form edges and to advance and retract each of said brushes toward and away from its opposed form edge in .avoidance of contact between said brushes.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which at least one of said brushes is movable along a fixed path in relation to said support and at least one other of said brushes is movable along a variable pathin relation to said support.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein at least two of said brushes are in opposed relation and are relatively adjustable toward .and away from each other.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized by .and including means movably positioned on said support for reception of said form and for vertical movement of said form into and out of a position in alignment with said brushes.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein one of said brushes, a rotating means for said brush, a moving means for said brush and an advancing-retracting means for said brush are carried on a carriage and said carriage is movbly mounted on said support for movement toward and away from another of said brushes.

6. The structure of claim 5 characterized by and including a form-receiving shelf extending forwardly of .and carried by said carriage and a second form-receiving shelf fixedly positioned on said support in parallel, coplanar relationship with said rst shelf.

7. 'I'he structure of claim 6 characterized by and including a ram mounted on said support forwardly of said second shelf.

said brushes carried by said carriage in opposed coplanar spaced relationship, said carriage having interpenetrating portions formed and adapted to provide adjustment of the space between said last-named brushes.

9. The structure of claim 8 characterized by and including a second carriage movable along said support, and a third said brush carried movably on said second carriage.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein a fourth said brush is mounted on said support for reciprocation in a path fixed with relation to said support, said fourth and third brushes being in opposed spaced coplanar relationship.

11. The structure of claim 8 wherein the rotating and advancing-retracting means for said last-named brushes are carried by said carriage.

12. The structure of claim 1 wherein said advancingretracting means are formed and adapted to advance said brushes into position for movement by said moving means ,along said edges and to retract said brushes to a irst set of retracted positions adjacent one end of each of said edges and to a second set of retracted positions adjacent the opposite end of each of said edges, said retracted positions being sufficiently spaced in each of said sets to permit entry and withdrawal of said form into and from coplanar relationship with said brushes.

13. The structure of claim 1 wherein said brush rotating means includes a motor for each of said brushes and a driving connection between each motor and its associated brush, each said motor and driving connection being mounted for movement with its associated brush throughout the movement of said -brush along its opposed edge.

14. The structure of claim 1 wherein said advancingretracting means includes a power cylinder for each of said brushes and engaging a shaft on which its associated brush is carried for axial movement of said shaft and brush, each said power cylinder being mounted for movement with its associated brush throughout the movement of said brush along its opposed edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,750,470 3/1930 Hoenes 15-77 2,710,417 6/1955 Short 15-77 2,800,677 7/1957 Peterson l5--308 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

